Knightswood deli reopens almost one year after devastating fire

At around 8am on Saturday, August 12, 2023, the gas fryer at Deli de Mama in Knightswood burst into flames after it was left unattended by a member of staff.  

The blaze ripped through the Dumbarton Road building, leaving the inside "completely gutted".  

Fire crews at Deli de Mama on August 12, 2023 (Image: Newsquest)

Sonya Izzett, the business owner, was not at the day-time takeaway at the time and says she was "absolutely devastated" when she realised the extent of the damage.  

She said: "It was determined there was a fault in the gas fryer thermostat.  

"It was upsetting because if the fire had taken place during the day when the place was open, the fire blanket would have been put over it and the emergency stop would have been pressed and we would have had no damage at all other than needing a new fryer and a couple of tiles."

Deli de Mama after fire (Image: Robert Perry)

Deli de Mama was opened in 2015 and was the dream of Sonya’s mum Lorraine Murray, with Sonya taking a break from her career in the NHS to support her with the business.  

Sadly, Lorraine passed away suddenly in 2020 just weeks after being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 57.  

As a result of the blaze, the front shop was "completely gone", the back shop was badly smoke-damaged, and the suspended ceilings were pulled down when the fire was extinguished.  

Fire damage in Deli de Mama (Image: Image supplied by Sonya Izzett)

Due to the fire having been caused by "staff neglect", the insurance company did not pay out, meaning Sonya had to foot the bill for repairs.  

She says she felt like "my heart had been ripped out of me again" but was determined to bring the deli "back to life" in honour of her mum. 

The 42-year-old said: "It was devastating to find her dream had burnt down.  

"The drive has always been to keep my mum alive by keeping her dream alive.  

"When the fire happened, it was devastating to find all the wee things she had left behind were lost, like her hat and apron that were still hanging up in the office."

Lorraine Murray (Image: Image supplied by Sonya Izzett)

She continued: "We’ve struggled through and had lots of hard moments because we’ve done the majority of the work ourselves to keep the cost as low as we could."

Deli de Mama serves breakfast and lunch items, such as rolls and paninis, and now has a Mr Whippy machine and will serve barista coffees, home baking and ice blasts. 

The deli reopened with a reduced menu last week with a relaunch event planned for Wednesday, August 7 where they plan to giveaway 500 meal deals.  

(Image: Robert Perry)

Sonya, from Drumchapel, says the support from the local community has been "great" and they look forward to giving back to them with a series of deals in memory of Lorraine. 

She said: "I feel on top of the world reopening.  

"There’s still a lot of work to be done that we’ve not quite managed to get finished but to walk in and think 'I’ve achieved it', I’m proud we’ve brought it back."

(Image: Robert Perry)

She added: "After the fire, there was a big outpouring of support, that’s probably what kept us going for the last year.

"The community have come back out in their numbers since we reopened."

Deli de Mama is located at 1874 Dumbarton Road.